Our Story & Team

Our Story

“Like most adventures, our story began not with five beers, but with a bowl of pasta, tons of laws being broken and a desire for freedom and a better life.

Like you, we were trapped indoors during the great Covid lockdowns. Gone was the freedom to visit friends and family. Gone was our ability to travel and work on our laptops from anywhere in the world. Life’s greatest treasures were now exchanged for endless streaming (remember ‘Tiger King?!) and learning how to bake sourdough. The only human interaction was waving to the Amazon delivery guy once a week. It was wild!

Like most animals, you can’t keep entrepreneurs caged for long. Under the cover of darkness, Tony escaped from his house, climbed up to the roof, and parkour’d across several buildings before breaking into my apartment. Over a bowl of pasta, Tony shared his idea. He wanted to go on an adventure. He wanted to convert a Mercedes Sprinter van, pack it with the latest technology so that he could work from anywhere, and ensure the van also had all the creature comforts for life on the road. Oh and he wanted to get a dog!

I had spent 6 months holed up in an apartment unable to get back to see family in South Africa or run my annual African adventure The Put Foot Rally for hundreds of people across sub-saharan Africa. My only outlet was spending hours each day tearing down a vintage 1972 Ford Capri and my nights hunting for parts all over the internet.

It’s fair to say Tony and I shared the same spirit. Never again would we be constrained to a building, or unable to travel, or be held back from spending quality time with friends and family.

So the question became – could we build one van? Or could we build a van company that has a place in this new, post-covid world? A van company that shares and promotes the values that we’ve all learned to reprioritize since the pandemic, like a healthy work / life balance.

And could we build vans for the new faces of the Vanlife Movement? The solo travelers, entrepreneurs, working professionals, families, outdoor enthusiasts, urbanite campers, the soon-to-be retired, and retirees?

And perhaps most importantly, could we build futuristic vans that provided folks with the opportunity at a truly unparalleled : WORK – PLAY – TRAVEL lifestyle?

It was an easy decision.”

Daryn Hillhouse, Co-Founder

MEET THE TEAM

This is our ever-expanding, all-star team of amazing men and women! Whether it be skilled trades, or degrees, MBAs or PHDs in design, marketing, sales, and common sense, every one of our professionals plays a vital role in building the highest quality vans in America. Each individual with their unique passions, whether it be building their own vans, hiking, skateboarding, boating, snow skiing, cooking, puzzles or video games helps keep Remote Vans a wildly interesting and fun place to work and build a career.

Co-Founders

Tony Alexander

CO-FOUNDER

Tony has founded or co-founded multiple tech companies, including one of the world’s leading online travel registries. He also serves on the board of one of the nation’s top startup accelerator programs, which he ran as Executive Director for several years. Tony has traveled extensively around the world, including circumnavigating the globe without airplanes—all while running multiple businesses from the road.

Daryn Hillhouse

CO-FOUNDER

Daryn founded the largest road rally in Africa, as well as other adventure travel-focused brands, one of which outfitted vehicles that were essentially early prototypes of Remote Vans. Having served in the British Army focused on Operations & Logistics during tours in Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan, Daryn has worked remotely around the world and managed defence contracts and bids worth more than $1B.

Mission Control

Blair Hillhouse

Director of Procurement and Supply Chain

Blair’s career has taken him from streamlining operations at retail giants to leading fraud investigations, building fraud processes and risk analytics systems for major institutions. He later shifted into the startup and tech space, where he engineered data pipelines and databases powering industries from healthcare to aviation. Now, as Inventory and Procurement Manager, Blair draws on this diverse background to bring precision and efficiency to van building.

Chris Schwab

Production Manager

Chris is a very proud husband and father. His journey began during his service in the United States Army. He learned leadership, team development, problem solving, command and control strategies, and process implementation on the battlefield and transferred those skills to the board room. Educated in the fields of Organizational Leadership and Business Leadership and Innovation. Chris brings his passion to bear everyday by mentoring and developing each team member to achieve greatness, not only in their duties, but in their personal lives. All to the benefit of the team member, the Remote Vans brand, and those we serve.

Jonathan Osborne

National Sales Manager

Jonathan is proud to be part of Remote Vans! He, his wife Elisabeth and 3 children live in Salt Lake City, UT. They love to ski, hike and explore the West. Earlier in his career Jonathan was VP of Service Operations for Tiffin Motorhomes where he led the maintenance, parts, call center, warranty and technical support teams. His passion for adventure vans grew after leading the design and launch of a successful adventure van, and he appreciates the flexibility they offer. He is excited to promote the joy of adventure and quality design found in Remote Vans' exceptional products.

Joshua Faubion

Head of Engineering

With 15 years of experience, Joshua is a passionate Head of Engineering who has designed innovative solutions for the automotive world, both on and off the road. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati, he combines creativity and technical expertise to bring ideas to life. Growing up with a love for building and exploring sparked his lifelong curiosity to create and discover. Some of his best memories are road-tripping with his family on trails and beaches, sharing the same sense of adventure with his young daughter. He believes that exploring together inspires creativity and connection. His bucket-list trip is traveling across Europe to experience its history and the Mediterranean Sea.

Justin Gonzalez

Service and Warranty Manager

Throughout my career, I've always been in customer-facing roles, and I enjoy helping people feel satisfied with their products or services. My experience as an automotive service manager, a customer service agent in the wireless technology field, and other front-facing positions led me to this new adventure.

Recently, I had the chance to go camping and drive in an off-road park for a competition, where my team placed third. This experience awakened a new passion in me and drew me to Remote Vans and its mission.

Micky Albert

Regional Sales Manager

Micky transitioned from a career in business and banking to the RV industry eight years ago, working at a reputable dealership on the West Coast. There, he discovered his passion for vans and outdoor adventure. Now with Remote Vans, Micky helps others achieve their travel dreams. He enjoys road trips with his wife Carinn, children Payton and Willow, and their dog Buddy.

Nick Galvin

Finance Director

Nick blends financial expertise with a passion for adventure and innovation. With over a decade of experience in corporate finance, private equity, and business strategy, he has helped scale companies across industries ranging from manufacturing to technology. His approach is rooted in building smart, sustainable systems that fuel creativity and long-term growth. Outside of work, he shares that same spirit of exploration, spending his free time outdoors, traveling, and perfecting his golf swing.

Robyn Hobson

Chief Marketing Officer

With 16 years of experience and an MBA, Robyn is an award-winning marketer who has worked with some of largest technology, retail, telecommunications and banking brands in Africa. Growing up in South Africa has given her a deep appreciation for the great outdoors. Her fondest memories are road-tripping with family to Plettenberg Bay, the Baviaanskloof, the West Coast and Namibia. She believes that all families should make the time to jump in a vehicle and go on an adventure together. Her bucket list trip is Going-to-the-Sun Road, MT.

Sadie Borchers

HR Manager

Sadie brings over a decade of experience in human resources, leadership strategy, and workplace innovation to her role at Remote Vans. A people-first strategist, she’s built HR systems and cultures from the ground up.

She holds a master’s degree in Business Leadership & Innovation from Northern Kentucky University, where she developed The Innovation Audit: a research-backed tool that measures how people-centered cultures drive innovation.

At Remote Vans, Sadie leads the company’s people and culture strategy, aligning talent, purpose, and adventure to fuel a team built for the road ahead.